Buyers from Europe, the USA and Australia staged a bidding war over some rare and precious Ferrari literature, in the latest Donington Auction.

From the collection of the W.H. Lowe family, long-time Ferrari importers, several key items were hotly contested as owners and enthusiasts sought to add to their collections.

An original and extremely rare ‘Modena Ferrari Italia’ pricelist from the 1950s, featuring the Ferrari 250 Granturismo, the 410 Superamerica and the 500 Testa Rossa, made a memorable $5200.

Likewise, the genuine and original Ferrari 275 GTS/GTB Spare Parts catalogue demonstrated the collectability of everything about the famous Italian sports car marque, bringing a winning bid of $2350 (pictured below).

Even a Ferrari keyring made by the famous A.E Lorioli of Milan brought $1450.

Along with the collection of the W.H. Lowe family, Donington Auctions also offered some important automobiles from the Late Dr. Stuart Saunders and the Jamieson family.

Sale highlight of the extremely five veteran and one vintage vehicles being offered at auction was the 1927 Lancia Lambda Series 7 ‘Garavini’ Spider replica, which sold for $175,000.

Work of the Italian coachbuilder Garavini, the original elegant and sporty Spider was a high point of the period’s design, and this tribute was built locally over a 10 year period on a derelict Lancia Lambda chassis found in Western Australia.

Now an Award winner, the ‘Garavini’ replica was sold in immaculate condition with extensive supporting paperwork.

A collection of extremely rare Porsche tractors auctioned by Donington Auctions has set new Australian records for the sale of these little-known agricultural products of the famous German sports car marque.

Donington’s on-line auction of the most comprehensive collection of Porsche tractors in the southern hemisphere, brought over $375,000.

Six Porsche tractors and an additional five Allgaier tractors, also originally from Germany and based on Porsche designs, were all owned and restored by a Victorian enthusiast.

Among them, the sale of a 1962 Porsche 419 Master set a new individual Australian record for a Porsche tractor, selling for $83,000 against an upper estimate of $75,000.

(Lot 4 – 1962 PORSCHE 419 MASTER)

It was the highest priced Porsche tractor ever sold at auction in Australia.

Another highlight was the 1959 Porsche Standard Star 238, which sold for $68,000 against an upper estimate of $45,000. The majority of the lots sold over estimate.

Tractor enthusiasts from Europe and the USA were ultimately outbid by east coast Australian collectors, who recognised the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase these rare Porsche tractors, which were never sold here when new.

This successful sale of the Single Owner Collection of Porsche and Allgaier tractors comes on top of Donington’s record-setting $1 million sale of John and Sue Illingworth’s unique collection of over 150 vintage tractors in Three Springs, Western Australia, earlier this year.

“Despite proactive bidding from international buyers, we were pleased to see the key consignments of the Porsche tractor collection remain on these shores,” Donington Auctions’ Cameron Sabine said.

“Tractor enthusiasts share the same passion as those collecting anything else automotive, as evidenced by the high number of bidders and successful sale of this outstanding collection of Porsche and Allgaier tractors.

“Our vendor was delighted with the auction outcome and particularly pleased to still be able to see these Porsche and Allgaiers at local tractor meets in the future.”

Off the back of the successful sale of the Illingworth and Porsche tractor collections, Donington’s has cemented its place as the ‘go to’ people for Single Owner tractor auctions.

Donington’s is now looking to consign to more Single Owner tractor auctions in 2024.

The Melbourne-based business is Australia’s largest auctioneer of classic automotive items. It is a specialist in Single Owner Collections, vintage and veteran, classic and collectible cars and motorcycles, and automotive memorabilia and ephemera.

This special auction features a regional Victorian gentleman’s collection, spread over several garages on his property. This gentleman has been collecting for over 50 years, having attended most of the Ballarat & Bendigo swap meets in the early days.

The auction includes an amazing array of UNRESERVED garage memorabilia, with many of the items secured over 30 years ago. Highlights include 1920s gravity feed petrol bowsers, original livery high boys, an exceptional range of hundreds of embossed tins and oil bottles.

The vehicles range from a nice 1928 Chev truck to a 1974 Porsche 911 Tarage ‘Outlaw’. On the French front, there are two lovely Peugeots being a 1951 ‘205’ and a 1965 ‘403’ models. Not to be upstaged, over the channel the exceptional English vehicles include a well restored 1936 Riley Lynx 4-seater sports tourer; a 1953 Land Rover Series I (80 inch) short wheelbase, two iconic post war Norton motorcycles being a circa 1949 Norton Dominator Model 7 & circa 1948 ES2.

Also included in the auction is a nice selection of stationary and locomotive engines including a historic Ruston & Hornsby 2ft gauge locomotive understood to have come from the old Geelong salt works, three Ballarat produced Ronaldson & Tippet 2, 3 & 3.5 H.P stationery engines, and related signs and literature.

Seldom does a collection of this quality come on the market, especially with a vendor willing to sell all the garage memorabilia UNRESERVED, so this is an opportunity not to be missed!

 

 

 

TIMED ONLINE AUCTION

Bidding Opens – 10am Monday 13 March 2023

Bidding closes in a staggered manner at 1-minute intervals on Sunday 26 March 2023, with the last lot concluding at 8pm.

BIDDING

Bidding increments increase by $5 per bid

For new users wishing to sign up to Donington Auctions please click here.

VIEWING

Viewing is available at our offices at 100A Talinga Road, Cheltenham

Monday to Friday 13 – 26 March 2023. – 9:30am – 4:30pm

Items denoted by ‘NOTE LOCATION’ can be viewed by appointment set up by phoning the Donington office on 9882 1433.

These offsite items are located in the both the Ballarat and Lake Goldsmith regions of Victoria.

AUCTION

Live simulcast auction Sunday 25th September at 10:30am AWST (12:30pm AEST).

Three Springs, Western Australia 6519 (address will be released 2-weeks before auction)

 

BIDDING

Live Bidding can be undertaken live online or in-person at Three Springs WA.

Pre-bidding opens from 10am Monday 19th September 2022

For new users wishing to sign up to Donington Auctions please click here.

For users already signed up to Donington Auctions please sign in and register here.

For Internet or Absentee bids please register online by clicking here.

Telephone bidding is available, though is subject to limited availability. Please download the form here and return via e-mail to [email protected]

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us on (03) 9882 1433 or e-mail [email protected]

 

VIEWING

Friday 23rd September 9am – 4:30pm

Saturday 24th September 9am – 4:30pm

Sunday 25th September 9am-10am

Three Springs, Western Australia 6519 (address will be released 2-weeks before auction)

—–

John and Sue Illingworth’s unique collection consisting of over 150 vintage tractors and machinery to be offered at auction in Three Springs, Western Australia on 25th September 2022.  This collection was created by husband-and-wife team, Sue and the late John Illingworth.

 

This remarkable collection was assembled over 50-years, with a highlight being the first commercially produced tractor in the world, the 1904 Ivel Agricultural Motor Tractor. This tractor is one of only 8 left in existence, with other examples scattered around the globe, including one in the Science Museum in London. Our example, being number ‘352’ is recognised as the 7th oldest tractor in the world and one of the most original.  In October 2019 a similar Ivel owned by doyen of the marque, the late John Moffit, was sold for a world record price of £328,600.

 

John Illingworth was one of the first people in his UK district to apply for a tractor for ploughing, which was still carried by horses at the time.

John  was originally from Clitheroe, Lancashire and emigrated to Western Australia in 1969 , where he established a sheep and wheat farm near Arrino, in the Three Springs region. (On marrying in 1978, Sue emigrated from Yorkshire to join him.)

 

John’s love of tractors & vintage machinery only grew, and it soon became a shared passion of John and Sue spending weekends searching for tractors that had been decommissioned years earlier and were languishing in barns, sheds and even fields. Sometimes, this even included tractors needing excavation by hand as they had sunk into the wet fields and were left abandoned.

 

On one occasion Sue recalls ‘they were invited to collect a tractor out of a farmer’s shed, that turned out to be packed to the brim with rubbish and debris built up over years. Having removed most of the back of the shed and chained the only part of the tractor they could reach, they were surprised to pull out an unrestored and rare Munktell tractor!’

 

John and Sue’s collection grew to such an extent, that they constructed a ‘Supershed’ to house the collection on the farm, and built up a reputation amongst the vintage tractor community.  The shed also houses other curiosities including a 1928 Dennis Fire Engine and even a WWII Stuart M3 Fort Knox Military Tank.

 

John took great pleasure in restoring and re-commissioning the tractors back to their former glory.  He was highly motivated, and even at his passing at age 92 still had numerous tractors in-line to be restored!

 

Sue has decided it’s time for the collection to be passed onto new custodians, with the hope that the new owners will get as much enjoyment from them as they have.

 

 

Having worked part time in Service Stations throughout my school life and into my early 20’s, it was probably natural for me to want a few souvenirs of what I regarded as fun times.

I remembered those great little tyre ashtrays (that were everywhere back then), so we got one, then another, and another.  Our collecting days had begun.

My wife Sue and I were soon spending our spare time travelling to country towns, scouring second hand shops and attending swap meets.  The collection grew, and soon included pumps, oil bottles, tins, signs, and yes, more ashtrays.

In the late 80’s we started our own business, a large part of which involved the installation and servicing of garage equipment.  This resulted in us working in numerous garages and car dealerships throughout Victoria.  We also contracted to a major oil company, during a time when a lot of service stations were still original sites, getting older, but not yet redeveloped into the (non) service stations of today.

During our work refurbishing these service stations, it was amazing how many old tins, bottles, oil racks and signs were simply thrown out behind the workshop or left in boxes in the oil room – unwanted and unloved.  I was probably the most zealous of people working on these sites, happy to fossick in all the back corners and pull out any rubbish in the hope of uncovering what I saw as hidden treasures.  The negotiations then began with the owner, who was usually very happy to part with them for a reasonable exchange, be it payment or some extra work or repairs they needed doing.

I remember working at one servo in Gardenvale (ex Golden Fleece) for several days, and after approaching the owner about some bottles in the oil room he said “yeah, just take them and you might find there’s more on the mezzanine over the office”.  A happy day for the collector, finding boxes of bottles, New Old Stock pourers, Firezone bottles and tops, and even a light box lens.

Whilst we were out hunting for items for our collection one Saturday afternoon, we stopped in at the Glen Huntly Antique Centre and it was there that we met Derek Gibson.  He had a stall in the back corner, selling antique books.  We got chatting to him, and soon uncovered a common interest – Golden Fleece.  Derek had worked at H C Sleigh for over 25 years and was a wealth of knowledge about the history and the brand.  We spent many Saturday afternoons with him after that first encounter, listening to his tales of his days at H C Sleigh and the history of the company.

He would often have something from his private collection under the counter for us to look at, and we purchased many items from him over the years.  This included ledgers, original photos, training materials, newspaper articles, staff news publications, documents relating to the opening of their new headquarters at Sleigh Corner, and various other internal paperwork, which together with his commentary, helped us to date and authenticate many items in our collection.

As well as being the Chief Training Officer for Golden Fleece, Derek was responsible for setting up the Golden Fleece pump museum, and if you look carefully in a photo which was published in the Golden Fleece Staff News, you can see an historical etching on the wall in the background which we purchased from him, and is included in our auction.

We thank Derek for entrusting us with so much history, and we hope that many of these items will now be passed on to collectors who share Derek’s and our passion.

In addition to collecting Garagenalia, we also have a love for motorsport, and were involved as officials over many years – Sue as a flag marshal, and myself initially flagging, and then moving to fire marshal.  We were fortunate to be part of the first night F1 Grand Prix in Singapore, and with the collecting bug well and truly in us, we also picked up motorsport memorabilia in our travels.

Our collection has been enjoyed for many years in our home, with friends and fellow collectors. We love the diversity of the items we gathered, and the interest that the promotional and historical items added. We hope that you will enjoy having a part of it.

Karl Jochheim

May  2022

 

The Richard Blanden Collection

Featuring memorabilia & the automotive library of the Late John Blanden

John Blanden was involved in Australian motor sports for almost 50 years. Commencing competitive activities in Victoria with a Ford 10 Special, Renault Special and the inevitable “TC” on the popular tracks of the day including Albert Park, Fisherman’s Bend and Ballarat Airstrip. With the advent of a young family his driving days were over in the early 60’s and his attention was directed to the administration of events and the early establishment of a private record of motor sport events, cars and personalities that was to continue throughout his life.

A career move to Adelaide in the early 70’s saw him join the Sporting Car Club of South Australia where he was to serve as President and ultimately be voted a life member, along with terms on the CAMS State Council. This period saw John return to active motor sport competition as an entrant and patron for several local drivers. It also presented the opportunity to acquire a number of historic racing and sports cars. The establishment of a Motor Museum in Hahndorf to house his growing collection of cars also provided the space to add memorabilia to his collection – the annual run to those early Bendigo Swap Meets was always a lot of fun.

The end of John’s regular working career coincided with the arrival of Formula One in Australia in 1985. A proposal to the Organisers to include Historic Race Cars on the programme led to a 20-year involvement as Historic Events Manager as well as the creation of enormously popular support events such as the Grand Prix Rally and Climb to the Eagle.

Through this period he continued to grow his records and the documenting of our Motor Sport History with the publishing of several books – Historic Racing Cars in Australia (Vol 1 and 2), History of Australian Grand Prix 1928-1939 and Elfin Racing and Sports Cars as well as contributing his records to many other’s in their own publishing efforts.

Growing up in these surroundings it was almost inevitable that I would be similarly enthused by motor sport and its history. I was gifted a youth of travelling to virtually all of Australia’s motorsport circuits as our cars were competing, from Clubmans, to Formula 3, to Formula 5000 and ultimately Historics. As a young man I then had the privilege of driving many of my father’s cars. Not a lot of people will have been picked up after school and taken to a racetrack to learn to drive in a C-Type Jaguar! The cars that passed through our garages over the years included;

AC Shelby Cobra

Allard J2

ASP Clubman 320B

ASP Clubman 340C

ASP Clubman 340C

Aston Martin DB3S

Austin 7 Roadster

Austin Healey 100S

Austin Healey 100/4

Austin Healey Bug Eye Sprite

Birrana 375

Brabham Speedcar

Brabham 2.7 Climax

Bugatti T37

Cooper T51 F2

Cooper T51 F1 (Brabham 1959 World Championship car)

Daimler V8 Majestic

Elfin 300C

Elfin Catalina

Elfin Clubman

Elfin ME5

Ferrari 250 GTE

Ferrari 308 GT4

Ford Falcon XC Coupe – ex Moffat Team Car

Ford Falcon XC Coupe – Cobra

Ford 10 Special

Holden FX

Holden FJ

Jaguar C-Type

Jaguar 3.8 Mk II

Lancia Ford Special

Lola T332 F5000

Lola T400 F5000

Lotus Elite

Lotus 11

Lotus 15

Lotus 18

Lotus 23

Maserati Merak

MG TC

MG TC Special S/C

MG TF

MG B Mk II

Packard Tourer

Porsche 930

From an early age I had collected the autographs of many of the great drivers and continued this through the Adelaide Formula 1 era and beyond. A business career that took me overseas for many years provided access to multiple international events with a range of memorabilia added to my own collection through those years

Since John’s death in 2004 I have been custodian of his Library, photographs and historical records along with much of his memorabilia. These have been displayed along with my collection in my home up until this decision being taken to pass on these items for other enthusiasts to enjoy.

Richard Blanden

January 2022

Donington Auctions are pleased to present the Michael Barker collection of original Ferrari, Porsche, Rolls Royce ephemera and a fine collection of signed motoring books.

This collection features many rare Ferrari factory brochures and yearbooks from 1951 (lot 801), through 1977 (lot 898), with two issues from 1956 (lots 748 & 824) including some very important signatures of Ferrari drivers and even Enzo Ferrari (lot 399).  Michael’s Ferrari collection was sourced from all over the world to supplement the items he accumulated whilst a sales manager at W.H. Lowe’s, the first Australian distributor of Ferraris.

His Porsche collection was compiled while Sales Manager at Hamilton’s Porsche Richmond and Porsche Centre Melbourne and includes seldom seen rare items.   Highlights include lovely 959 pieces including an unused workshop manual (lot 124). The Porsche books compliment the sales brochures beautifully, with some very rare books, such as ‘The History of Gulf in Motorsport’ (lot 374). The 935 Turbo race car maintenance book (lot 475) is also a rare find and should create interest worldwide.   The auction includes the ex-Hamilton showroom 1:5 scale model of the Le Mans winning Rothmans 956 (lot 113) and a large collection of exceptional 1980s posters from the time of their Le Mans domination.

Many of the world’s most sought-after automotive books are included in Michael’s collection, most in near new condition, including many signed by the subject, as well as the author, such as (lots 661, 673, 948). Brabham fans will be very pleased with the number of Brabham related, signed items including (lots 671 & 924) being just two of many.

We haven’t even mentioned the Nicholas Watts limited edition prints, which are also signed (lots 551) and the very rare Alfa Romeo brochures for the 6C (lot 41 & lot 143) which should be of interest to Alfisiti.

This offering is of a calibre rarely seen in Australia and is testament to the refined eye of the collector Michael Barker.

Auction is now open for bidding

PART I – Lot 1-499 Closes from 11:42am AEDT Saturday 2nd April, with lots closing at 1-min intervals

PART II – Lot 500 onwards Close from 12:03pm AEST on Sunday 3rd April, with lots closing at 1-min intervals

The Timed Online Auction of the Badge & Mascot Collection of the Late Dr. David Watson Snr.

Dr David Watson Snr  – 11.4.1924 to 20.3.2005

David acquired his love of cars from his father at an early age.  His father trained in the precursor of auto mechanics, he commenced working at Brodribb’s in 1912 and served in WW1 in the motor transport division on the French front – many of these early connections and friendships remained influential throughout David’s life, including Jack Day and Doug Whiteford.  David’s foray into car ownership started early, with him driving his first acquisition, a 1910 Metallurique, home without tyres or a licence at 16 in the 1930s.

He cut a dashing form while at university studying dentistry driving a Brescia Bugatti, one that he shortened and modified with the help of Jack Day, who donated a Type 39 radiator to streamline the whole affair. A XK120 Jaguar, ex Bib Stillwell, to aid his courting days, followed this.  These marques and a number of other including Bentley, Renault and Chrysler had a profound impact on him over his life.

His practice in Toorak Village blossomed over 54 years, and so did his automotive collection, allowing him to exercise his eclectic tastes in all things car related.  To bastardise a phrase, his belief was: “there are no bad cars – just some are better than others”.  At any one time there were more than a dozen cars in his collection and projects to fill more than three lifetimes.  His web of contacts, including patients, enabled him to collect automobilia, badges and parts from all parts of the globe.  Family road-trip holidays were often thinly disguised treasure hunts for vehicles or automobilia.  His was truly a lifelong automotive passion lived to the full and to the end.

ONLINE AUCTION

Bidding increments increase by $5 per bid

VIEWING

By appointment – please contact us

AUCTION

Lot 1 starts closing on Sunday 31st May 2020 at 2 minute intervals with the last lot concluding at 4pm.

CATALOGUE

To view the catalogue please click here.

The Classic Automotive Auction 

Featuring over 300 Lots – 17^th November 2019, Cheltenham Victoria 

Donington Auctions are proud to announce our upcoming auction ‘The Classic Automotive Auction’. This live auction will be held in Cheltenham, Victoria on Sunday the 17th of November and features a fantastic line up of classic automotive lots including motorcycles, rare and historic numberplates, over 100 lots of garagenalia, and tractors together with hundreds of memorabilia items.

A highlight of the auction is the historic single digit Queensland Registration Plates ‘9.’ This is only the second time the plates have appeared on the market in the 97 years since being issued. The Q9 plates were issued to the 9th registered motor vehicle in Queensland. The pair of Q9 plates and the right to display is sold with accompanying certificate of Registration of Motor Vehicle issued by QLD Department of Transport and Main Roads.

We have over 10 classic motorcycles on offer including the beautiful 1939 Triumph Speed Twin 5T with Dusting sidecar. This motorcycle has an amazing history, from being hidden from war service under a market garden to the father son family ownership. Another exciting feature lot is the rare and collectable 1977 Ducati 750 Super Sport square case, one of a mere 100 built in 1977. Other marques include Norton, Royal Enfield, Ariel, BSA, Velocette and Kawasaki. Also included in the auction is a Jap twin engine and a rare AJ Stevens engine.

On the tractor front we have an beautifully restored John Deere AR tractor and an original BMC Nuffield 4DM.  From the same estate collection is a 1968 Model IH Australian Army 6×6 petrol engine truck.

The auction also consists of a large single owner Caltex collection and other garagenalia from various vendors which includes a c1930 petrol bowser, large original enamel signs, a 1.8-meter Caltex circular illumination sign, globes etc.  The automotive memorabilia includes, impressive mascots, Michelin Bibendum figures, signed limited edition books, rare parts, models and many many more.